The Elite
by The Girl With The Ribbons
Summary: My own sequel to Kiera Cass's The Selection. 35 girls. 1 crown. The competition of a lifetime.
1. Chapter 1

My mother was placing five sets of silverware next to five plates. I was trying to make dinner for May and Gerad –and possibly Aspen-but we had no food. I opened the refrigerator and the shelves were all vacant except for a half empty jar of pickles. I picked them up and turned to mom, frowning. Her red hair looked disheveled and her face had more lines and wrinkles than I remembered. Her body was thinner and the sight was frightening. She didn't say anything, she just started to cry. I ran to her then, extending an arm around her shoulders.

"Mom! It will be okay. Next month, we'll have jobs lined up and Gerad will begin acting." He had finally found his niche.

"But…but…" She started between sobs, "I'm feeding my children pickles!"

Gerad and May entered the kitchen now and both of them were gaunt as ever. They looked worse than Eights. In fact, I could see every one of their bones. My stomach lurched at the sight…or maybe because it was so empty.

I heard a loud zipping noise and suddenly, Gerad's mouth opened wide to reveal a bright light which slowly overtook his little face and then my entire line of vision was white.

"…Ica? Lady America? It's time to wake up!" Anne's voice gently tugged at my mind. One of my maids was still opening the curtains, letting in a wonderfully large amount of light.

I took a long deep breathe of the summer air that had come in through my open windows. It smelled of the flowers in the vast garden below my balcony. A lazy smile played across my face as I opened my eyes. What a terrible nightmare to have but I knew that my family of Fives back home would never have to worry about that kind of hunger again. Prince Maxon had helped create a new law. Free nutritious meals would be provided once a day at dinnertime for Fives, Sixes, Sevens, and Eights. And of course, I was an Elite. Not only did this mean that my family was receiving generous compensation from the palace for my participation in the Selection, but also that Prince Maxon had narrowed down 35 potential future wives, future princesses, and future queens to only 6. I was one of them.

I looked up at one of my maids, still smiling. "Good morning, Anne."

"Good morning, Lady America." She curtsied. "Today you will be meeting with Silvia and the other Elites in the Women's Room. Silvia will explain some of the changes that are made to the Selection after the Elites have been established."

Mary had been the one who drew back the curtains and now she was rounding the corner of the bed to face me. "And we have more dresses for you, miss!"

I looked over to my closet, where an elegant yellow day dress was hanging on the door. Most of my dresses were blue or cream colored. I had always requested to dress simply and lightly. Next to the other ladies, I often appeared plain. But today, my dress didn't look plain. I pulled the covers off and stepped into my fancy slippers. My maids escorted me to the enormous washroom where they started the bath and helped me out of my thin nightgown.

I came out of the bath smelling like lavender. The maids draped a robe around me and Anne proceeded to blow-drying my hair as Mary worked on my make-up and Lucy rubbed lotion into my skin. Anne decided to leave most of my red locks in waves falling down my back. She pinned up only a small amount of hair from the sides of my temple. It had a simple, graceful air to it. My make-up was light and soft with pink hues. The maids slipped me into the yellow dress. Anne told me it was made of chiffon, an expensive material. The straps of the dress were wide set and looped over the curves of my shoulders, almost falling off of them. The hem fell just above my knee and even the slightest movement caused the fabric to sway in a beautiful flowing motion. I looked delicate, even fragile.

My maids slipped my feet into these little strappy silver heels. Then they ushered me out of the room where Marlee and Elise were descending the stairs. I hurried over –as quickly as I could in heels-to catch up.

"Hello." I said to both of them. Marlee was my best friend here, other than maybe the Prince. I hadn't spoken to Elise much at all during the month that I've been here. She seemed quiet and calm compared to the others who had mostly seemed to be on a constant adrenaline rush from all of the excitement here.

When Marlee turned to me her eyes were wild with enthusiasm and she gave me a warm smile. "Aren't you so excited?! I can't believe I made it-_we_ made it-into the Elites." She was always like this, bubbly and happy.

"I'm interested to hear what kinds of changes are being made now that there are only the six of us." Elise said as we reached the first floor.

Marlee and I nodded in agreement as the three of us entered the Women's Room. It was a room of decent size but relatively small compared to the Dining Room or the Great Room. The Queen and her other female friends used this room to entertain themselves. Since the Selection started, all of the girls used this room as a place to gather for announcements made by Silvia. When I first arrived, it was filled with mirrors and salon chairs. All 35 girls had gone through this room for their hair, make-up, nails, and wardrobe. At that time, we were preparing for interviews with camera crews and news reporters that would later be broadcast on the _Illea Capital Report_. Now that we were Elites, I could imagine there would be more of that.

Instead of the mirrors and salon chairs, there were several sofas in front of the large television. Natalie and Kriss were already seated at one. Natalie had a flirtatious pink dress on and Kriss was wearing a deep blue one. Marlee, Elise, and I joined them. Of course, Celeste hadn't made her entrance yet.

As we waited, we talked about the Selection so far. How the rules had been changed and some had been broken. How different palace life was from the lives back home. I was a Five, so before the selection my family's money was stretched pretty thin. We still managed but sometimes we'd have to give up our electricity so that we could have food. I couldn't imagine how Sixes, Sevens, and Eights below us were able to survive. Many didn't.

And then there was Aspen, he was a Six and the oldest of seven children. His father had died years ago and his family relies heavily on him for money. He was drafted to serve for Illea as a soldier after I was taken away for the Selection. Luckily for him, he was safely stationed as a guard at the palace. Not so lucky for me. He was my boyfriend for two years before the Selection, the secret love of my life. No one at home knew because there are laws against us being together because we're from different castes. Not to mention my mother would be furious. We had planned to get married but now he wasn't my boyfriend anymore. He had broken up with me before the Selection saying he was unworthy of me and that I deserved someone who could at least provide me with food. Aspen had told me that he would never be able to forgive himself if he was the reason I wouldn't apply to be in the Selection for Prince Maxon's future wife and future Queen. My family needed the money so my mother was pressuring me too and there was such a small chance that I would actually be Selected. One in thousands. But I was Selected and I had come here by mistake. I was the only girl in the Selection that didn't want to be here. Until recently. Because I mistakenly also began to fall for Prince Maxon who proved to be nothing like I would have expected from a One. And all of a sudden, the Selection mattered.

_ CLANKITY CLANK CLANK._ I practically jumped from my seat, so surprised by the disturbance outside the Women's Room. The palace was almost always silent aside from the sound of high heels on the tile floors.

"But I had _asked_ for gold! Not silver!" A woman shrieked from behind the door. Celeste, of course.

Marlee and I exchanged a look and she stifled a laugh. I heard hurried hushed whispers coming from the maid who was frantically trying to calm her down. The door swung open and a very disgruntled Celeste strode in. She was tall and confident with long brown hair. A large, elaborate silver necklace was displayed across her chest. Her dress was a vibrant red, like most of her wardrobe. Celeste's strategy was intimidation. And for most girls, it worked.

In a huff, she came up to us and sat down. "These maids can't get anything right!" She lifted a finger to her chest and flicked the silver necklace.

"I think it looks good." Marlee said sheepishly. Celeste just glared.

Suddenly, Silvia burst through the door, completely unaware of the tension in the room. And just like that, it dissipated. "Good morning, ladies" She began, "We have a lot of extremely important information to go over today. I hope you're all prepared to take everything in. First things first, congratulations on making it to the final six, congratulations on being an Elite." She gave a small smile and continued. "Now, as you've heard, when there are only a handful of ladies left in the Selection, there are quite a few changes that are made. We no longer hold lessons in the Great Room seeing as we won't need that much space. Now you will be taking your lessons in The West Conference Room. Only the smallest conferences are held there and this will more than suit the needs of a group of this size.

"Your lessons will be changed drastically. You will still have History but you will also have two new lessons: Royalty Obligations and Inner Workings. In Royalty Obligations you will learn your roles as a princess and later as Queen. You will learn what will be expected of you from the Royal family and you will learn more about proper etiquette. In Inner Workings, you will learn what responsibilities a princess will have in serving Illea. You will also, of course, learn what businesses you will have as Queen. There will be lessons on the roles of the King and princes as well. In the afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays you will be taking dance lessons to prepare yourselves for The Elite Grand Ball which will take place in two weeks." Marlee looked at me wide-eyed, pursing her lips in excitement when Silvia said this. "You should use this as an opportunity to impress both Prince Maxon and all of Illea. As you can imagine, there will be plenty of camera crews and photographers. I also encourage you to use the swimming pool outside to the East of the garden during open hours after lunch on days you don't have dance lessons. Because there are so few of you now, it would be in your best interest to make close friends. The Queen is still dear friends with many of the women who participated in her Selection. These changes are in effect as of today. You may now head to the Dining Room where you can take your breakfast."

I was excited about the swimming pool. I've never even seen one before. Usually only Twos and Threes have any hope at ever going swimming. For anyone less fortunate, swimming is too expensive.

"I can't _wait _to impress Prince Maxon at the Ball." Natalie gushed.

"Oh, I know! Now that there are so few of us, this will be so much more intense." Marlee said.

"I will slap one of my maids if she gets my jewelry wrong again. I'm already imagining what kind of impression my ensemble will have on the Prince. He won't be able to take his eyes off me." Celeste was so smug it was sickening.

We walked down the hall to the Dining Room. The sound of high-heels on the tiles was much softer now that 29 girls were gone. When we entered the Dining Room, the Royal Family wasn't there yet. I noticed that the tables had been rearranged. Instead of the boxy U that they were shaped in before, there were only two tables. They were positioned perpendicular to each other creating a T. One must be for the Royal Family and the other for the Elites. We sauntered over to where there were six place settings over a white cloth and took our seats in the tall dark dining chairs. The plates were white with fancy gold trim and I was greeted with more than three pieces of silverware. I sat in between Marlee and Natalie. Celeste, Kriss, and Elise were seated across from us. No one sat at the end of our table. The top was up against the center of the Royal Family's table. There were two place settings at each of the ends of the Royal Family's table and one in the center, right in front of the door. It actually was a nice arrangement, everyone could see everyone.

Shortly after we arrived, the doors to the Dining Room opened and in unison, all six girls rose from their seats. King Clarkson and Queen Amberly walked through followed by Prince Maxon. We all curtsied and I noticed the instant change in the room, as usual, when the Prince was present. Every girl was in awe, love-struck and desperate for his affection. After the Royal Family entered, two guards did as well and stationed themselves at either side of the double doors.

"Good morning, ladies. Please have a seat." Queen Amberly began. She gave us a small, gentle smile as she lifted her arm, motioning to the chairs. "I have purposely not gotten close to you because I knew the great majority of the Selected would be leaving and it didn't seem proper. Though, now that there are only so few of you, I'd like so much to take that time if you'll allow me. I'll ask for each of you individually to meet with me in the Women's Room later this week so that we have an opportunity to elaborately introduce ourselves. As for now, I thoroughly hope you enjoy your breakfast." Then she was seated.

The girls began to talk quietly amongst themselves as did the Royal Family. Waiters dressed in black slacks and white button up shirts made their rounds setting silver platters of food on each white plate. I stole a glance at Maxon before I uncovered my breakfast. My breath shortened when his gaze shifted and his brown eyes fell on me. His face lit up a little and he gave me a small smile. In my first weeks here, I had found that Maxon was trustworthy and I had told him everything. About my feelings for Aspen and later about my feelings for him. There were only two things I kept secret from Maxon. He did not know Aspen by name so one of the things he was unaware of was that the guard who kept watch outside of my room at nighttime was not only known as Guard Leger but also as the boy who broke my heart. The second thing he didn't know was that Aspen had snuck into my room and had stolen a passionate kiss only last week. Well, maybe not stolen. I hadn't exactly pulled away. The kiss could have ended in Aspen, me, or both of us being put to death. Later I told Aspen that anything more than a formal relationship was not only too risky, but blatantly inappropriate.

Maxon and I had shared three kisses, three more than I daresay anyone at this table had before. Sometimes I wondered how Maxon acted around the other girls but he assured me that he knew I was the one he wanted. I was the one he could foresee a future with. He had told me that if it had been so simple, he'd send everyone else home now and keep me. I was the one he was willing to wait for until I was sure I wanted to spend my life with him.

As I bit into one of the delicious sausages, I thought about how this situation was so backwards. A _prince_ is waiting for me. When a messenger had visited my home back in Carolina to go over the rules of the Selection before I came to the palace, he had told me that it was in my best interest not to turn down the prince. No matter what his request was. Anything goes. He could demand anything from a kiss to marriage. And now here he is, waiting in hopes that one day I'll be ready.

"America." Marlee whispered to me. "The Prince is looking at you so _strangely_."

I spun my head around towards Maxon. Sure enough, he was looking at me strangely. And right when I looked at him, he made the most inconspicuous movement. It could have looked like a simple itch or an unintentional gesture. But I knew that the tug he gave his left ear was meant for me. It was our symbol to let the other know that we needed to talk in private. I gave him a small nod and went back to my breakfast.

When breakfast was dismissed, I walked down the hall towards the backdoors that led out to the garden, hoping to meet with Maxon before lessons. As I was passing the Great Room, a hand grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the hall and through the door. I looked up to see who had seized me and gasped.

I had found myself face to face alone with Aspen.


	2. Chapter 2

A very mischievous look was lighting up Aspen's green eyes. This couldn't end well.

"What are you, _crazy_?" I hissed at him. I was still glancing around in fear that someone somewhere could see us.

He cocked his head back and gave me a playful grin. "Crazy about you!"

"Cut it out. In all seriousness, I like seeing you but this isn't a game. You could end up dead in a matter of hours." I paused. He gave me absolutely no reaction. "I could end up dead in a matter of hours."

His grin faded. "Mer, I'd never let that happen. And if it did, I'd find ways to punish myself for the rest of my life if I wasn't already dead."

Something in my stomach twisted. It was so much harder to hear Aspen talk about me like that now when being together could be so costly. I thought it was bad months ago when we had to sneak around at night. But now…everything is so complicated. I wanted to throw my arms around him and reassure him that everything was still the same. I wanted to tell him that as soon as this is over, we can get married. I wanted to make him happy but I wasn't fully sure that doing so would make me happy. So instead I just said, "I'm not going to end up dead because you're not going to do anything even questionable."

For a few moments, it was silent as we both looked at each other for a reaction. Aspen's eyes were full of passion, letting me know he'd go to extreme lengths to have me. It's strange to think that only a few months ago I would have jumped on the opportunity to marry him in a heartbeat. But when he had told me that everything between us was over, something had changed. And now when I was around him, my stomach would tighten and my lungs would compress until I could hardly breathe. I fought the thoughts away and focused on what was at hand. "Why did you grab me?"

Aspen straightened up a little and now his eyes were unreadable. "I needed to talk to you about rebel issues. Things you're not supposed to know but I care about you too much to leave you unaware about something that could put you in danger. Rebels are basically groups of outsiders who-"

"I know who they are. What's happening?"

Maxon told me everything I know about rebels. How they're not in the caste system and they either dislike or disapprove of Illea's government. He told me about the two main groups known to the Royal Family as the Northerners and the Southerners. Both have attacked the palace and other towns in the country. Southerner attacks have always been more violent and fatal than those of Northerners.

"There was an attack a little bit south of here by Northerners. They invaded dozens of homes, mostly Fours and Fives. One man reports that a personal box was stolen from him. But it only contained photos of family members and a set of keys to his house. The weird thing is…" Aspen took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "...they killed four people. Which is really-"

"Unusual for Northerners, I know." I finished for him.

"Well, they're getting closer to the palace which-. " He stopped midsentence and narrowed his eyebrows at me. "How do you know so much?"

"Maxon told me." The moment that escaped my lips, I wished I hadn't said it.

"Does he tell all of the Selected about government secrets?"

"I don't know." I lied. Maxon leans on me when he gets overwhelmed with royal duties or just stressed out in general. But Aspen doesn't need to know that. He shouldn't know that. "Look, Aspen, I should go."

Before I could even process what was happening, Aspen's lips were on mine. It was a quick kiss because this time, I actually did push him away but not because I didn't want him to kiss me. I full-heartedly did, but as much as Aspen loved me and as much as my heart may have ached for him, he had to respect what he knew I wouldn't allow. And I was kind of surprised he didn't.

When I broke away from the kiss I looked up at him, shaking my head in disappointment before I fled through the double doors.

When I reached the garden, I saw Maxon waiting for me on one of the benches across from the water fountain. He knows the garden is my favorite place in the palace so he always meets me here.

When he saw me approaching, he stood up and smiled. "Good morning, my dear."

"Don't call me that." But I was smiling so I probably didn't sound too convincing. I was pretty close to just giving in and letting him have his way. He's been calling me 'my dear' since the day I arrived so he probably wasn't going to stop anytime soon. The first few times it did genuinely bother me, but since I've discovered that Maxon wasn't completely rotten, the pet name has begun to grow on me. Slowly. "So what did you signal me here to talk about?" I wondered if he'd bring up the recent rebel attack.

"Well, with the other ladies, I usually request their presence when I would like a date. But with you, it's always been some serious matter. So now, I'd like a date." He gave me a shy smile. This was very true. There have only been a couple of times where we signaled to meet simply to meet. Most times, the ear tug meant urgency and that there was some bit of very important information the other had to hear. And I was happy that he didn't only want to talk to me to express his nervousness about rebel issues. I was really happy that he actually just wanted to be with me.

"I'd be pleased. What did you have in mind?"

"I know you like the garden and being outside so I thought maybe you'd like the forest. There are paths all throughout and we can either walk or take horses." The forest stretched as far as I could see beyond the garden.

"Horses. I've never been on one." Maxon's eyes widened. I've only ever seen horses from a distance. Fours work with horses often because many are farm owners. Some sevens also work with them if they work on the farms. Fives really have no purpose with them so I've never even touched one. Let alone ridden one.

"Horses, it is then. I'll let the keeper know and he'll set them up. Meet me here after lunch."

I almost forgot I have lessons today. I curtsied and then hurried back inside so I could find the West Conference Room with the rest of the girls. It was a Tuesday so we wouldn't have dance lessons until tomorrow but History, Royalty Obligations, and Inner Workings were still scheduled every weekday before lunch.

A man escorted all of us to the West Conference Room on the first floor. Silvia was seated at a desk that faced two rows of three smaller desks in the middle of the room.

"Good morning, ladies!" She crowed. Silvia was a thin lady, probably in her mid-thirties. She looked like the kind of woman who would have wished she could be in the Selection herself, but there were no eligible men in the royal family when she was of age. She wore a black pencil skirt and a silky maroon blouse. Her brunette hair was piled neatly on top of her head in a tight bun.

She walked up and down our rows of desks all through History lecturing about pacts and agreements that Illea has had to make with other countries to support our nation. None of this was ever covered in school back home. In fact, there were no history books at all. Dad kept an old one that was tattered and missing pages. It even looked like it had been burnt around the edges. When he had caught me reading it, he told me never to tell anyone he had it. I never asked why history was a secret, but we were expected to respect whatever bits history was kept hidden from us.

Since I arrived at the palace, I've learned that as a result of World War III, China took over what used to be called the United States and renamed the country The American State of China. Russia attempted to invade the weakened country. Illea was formed when a man by the name of Gregory Illea lead The American State of China in a defensive attack against Russia and signed a peace treaty with China. I had not learned much about what condition the country really is in now. But with half of the country scavenging to survive, I'd guess it wasn't good. I wanted badly to ask Maxon about this but perhaps he'd think it's none of my business. After all, if I was supposed to know, I would have been taught it.

In Royalty Obligations we learned the basic duties we would be having as Queen. I really think Silvia loved this part of lessons. She seemed to talk about it almost dreamily, like she was whisked away at the idea of the Queen's work. "You will need to develop a ladylike, gentle, yet intelligent public etiquette if you have not done so already. As Queen, there will be events and functions that you will be required to make an appearance at. Charity work must be a routine part of your life. Starting on Friday, every week you will be visiting patients at the Capitol Hospital as a group to show support to ill citizens. Queen Amberly will be making an appearance with you for your first day on Friday. Charity work in hospitals is one of her charities that she is most known for. The Queen may also come in during lessons later in the week and speak about her experiences as well as giving you additional advice on how to develop proper etiquette." Silvia went on for about an hour about which fork we use for salad or which level of voice is to use for dining, for mingling, and for addressing a group of people."

In Inner Workings we learned the roles each royal family member played. Silvia didn't seem as excited about this lesson, but still stressed its importance. She said, "The King makes war decisions, advises politicians and clergymen, and monitors government given food and supplies. If the King has any sons, the King plays the role of a mentor. When the princes are old enough, they will aid in the King's responsibilities. The Queen's roles are studied in detail in Royalty Obligations. If the King and Queen have any daughters, it has been custom for the daughters to be sold to other countries to marry away."

_What?_ If I choose Maxon and if I ever become Queen I will do everything in my power so that my daughters do not get sold away. But Maxon would make the rules then and I really don't think he'd let that happen to his own children.

"If the King and Queen provide no children, we look to the King's siblings or nephews instead as heir to the throne. "

I actually think politics is boring. History is more interesting because I like learning about events, especially events of Illea hundreds of years ago. Politics seems to just deal with who has the power to do what. The material is necessary information for the Royal Family to know, but it's boring to learn. So I was happy when Inner Workings finally ended and I could go to lunch.

Recently, I've been really excited for meal time. Not just because I'm a five and I never have gotten to eat this sufficiently in my life at home, but also because I get to see Maxon. Even if we don't talk much in front of everyone else, I like seeing him and wondering what he's thinking when he sees me. But today at lunch, something seemed off. He gave me blank looks instead of the warm smiles that were typical. And suddenly, he was acting _really _strangely. He started paying an abnormal amount of his attention to Celeste. And of course, she was eating it up.

"My dear, you look so lovely in that dress." There was nothing suggestive about what he said. It sounded so innocent coming from him. It was just a simple compliment. But to Celeste, I'm sure it sounded like a confession. Or like a proclamation of the way Maxon feels.

She smiled flirtatiously and batted her eyelashes. "Oh, Prince Maxon. You are so…_charming_."

He blushed and looked at his plate. "Thank you, Lady Celeste."

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Apparently, I wasn't alone because the other four girls were gaping wide eyed from one to the other. Marlee and I exchanged a glance and she furrowed her eyebrows in concern for me.

When lunch ended, I was the last one to leave the Dining Room, hoping that I would catch Maxon's eye. But he didn't look up from his plate.

I hurried upstairs to my room to change for horse riding. When I got to the top of the staircase, there was a commotion caused by the other girls. Everyone was swarming around Celeste who was beaming and holding a bouquet of what could have been as many as two dozen roses.

"Oh my, you are _so _lucky. I wish the prince would send me roses!" Natalie gushed.

Kriss was looking at Celeste with envious eyes and crossed her arms.

Even Elise contributed to the flurry of action. "What did he write in the note?"

"To my Lady Celeste. You are as exquisite as a rose. Prince Maxon." Celeste said this in the most pompous boastful way.

Marlee came towards me probably to comfort me but I turned quickly and headed to my room to change. I wanted to be alone.

I certainly would meet Maxon in the garden for our date. Part of me didn't want to. A small part of me was so angry that I just wanted to never show up. See how he liked that. But another part of me still respected him. So I would go. And some parts of me even felt excited and giddy to meet him. But the majority of me was overwhelmed with dread that he would tell me something I didn't want to hear.


	3. Chapter 3

When I approached Maxon in the garden his eyes looked cold and distant. My throat tightened.

I curtsied and greeted him with only a short, emotionless acknowledgement.

"Prince Maxon."

If he's going to suppress his thoughts and feelings then so will I. Two can play at this game.

"America, what's troubling you? You're not acting quite yourself." He took my hand and began to lead me to the park bench.

How dare he pretend to be in oblivion of this love triangle he's created! I yanked my hand from his. But instead of opening my mouth, I froze. I paused to let my nerves calm. I'm not about to lose my temper and let myself look like a fool. "Isn't there someone waiting for us at the horse stables?"

When the words fell out of my mouth, they didn't form a question. They became an irritated and snappy statement. So when Maxon began to open his mouth to protest, I didn't let him. I turned on my heel and called over a guard to escort us to the stables.

I was placed on a light brown horse named Terra and Maxon was put on a dark brown one named Rover. I was so fascinated with the animals that for a few moments I forgot about the tension between Maxon and me.

"This is such a strange sensation!" I observed, referring to the way my body swayed as the horse hiked into the forest. "And these animals are even more gigantic up close!"

Maxon glanced at me and smiled. His expression was warm and familiar again. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. I have quite the adventure planned for us today."

"Yeah, I see that. What's in the backpack?"

His smile widened. "It's a surprise."

"You really didn't have to go through all of this. Just a simple ride through the forest would have been ample in impressing me."

It was true. The forest was absolutely beautiful. The air was fresh and the trees were green as ever. But my favorite part of the forest was the way the light reflected off of the leaves and formed bright patterns on everything that surrounded us. Maxon was scanning the forest with me, taking in all of the beauty that I saw.

"Well, I don't want to just amply impress you." Maxon met my eyes and smiled. "I want you to be overwhelmed with awe."

"What could possibly be better than this?"

"I know you've never been in a swimming pool and you'll get your chance but I thought that while all of the other girls are swimming in the pool back at the palace, we could go somewhere with a little more privacy."

I furrowed my brow in confusion. But as we made our way through the forest and into a clearing, I understood what his surprise was.

Before us was a decent sized pond and on one end water trickled down from the top of a hill above us. Without the protection of trees overhead, I realized how brightly the sun was shining and the water glistened invitingly.

"You can change in there." Maxon pointed to a small wooden shed at the edge of the pond. He handed me a white one-piece bathing suit. He smiled and added, "I've already got mine on."

The bathing suit was made of eyelet fabric and had lace trim. It matched the delicate, fragile look that my yellow day dress had. When I left the shed, I found Maxon sitting near the water. He was wearing a navy T-shirt and tan shorts. I sat next to him and he smiled at me.

"You look lovely in that suit. I thought it seemly for you."

"I like it quite a bit too." I stepped into the pond and was pleased at how warm the water was.

I extended my body until I was in a floating position as if the pond was my own bed. I closed my eyes and realized that I could probably fall asleep like this. The heat of the water and the sun's rays kissed my skin. The only noises I heard were the soft splashing from the waterfall and the songs of the birds in the trees.

I thought of home just then. There was nothing so relaxing as this in Carolina. I felt a tinge of guilt that May, Gerad, and Aspen have never felt such luxuries. But I especially felt for my parents. After all of the hardship they had gone through to raise five children in such a terrible place, they deserved this the most. But the comfort of this peaceful place I was in now drowned the negative emotions from my mind. And then I remembered that my family would all be Ones if I became Prince Maxon's wife. For my family's sake, being in the Selection was a blessing, not a mistake.

As my senses absorbed the tranquility of my surroundings, the fire inside of me dissipated. I forgot about Celeste and her conniving strategies. I forgot about the secret love affair I shared with Aspen. I forgot about the increasingly aggressive Rebel attacks. I even forgot that I wasn't alone until Maxon's shoulder brushed against mine.

My eyes opened slowly to find Maxon in the same position, floating next to me. But his eyes weren't closed. They were trained on me.

"This is the first time we've ever really been alone together." He whispered.

The realization that we could do _anything_ right now without any risk of anyone knowing made my breathing quicken. With Maxon's face so close to mine, my mind got lost in memorizing every one of his features. I hadn't noticed the color of his eyes. I always knew they were brown but I had missed the hints of amber in them and the way they matched his honey-colored hair. His eyes were sappy and reminded me of syrup or molasses. His cheeks were defined and proud. They gave him a wisp of authority and age. Maxon was effortlessly handsome. But I was mostly focusing on his lips and the way he was drawing them closer to mine.

At first, the kiss was overly gentle, as to not push one of us underwater. But after only a few moments, Maxon grasped hold of my waist and helped me lift myself out of the water until we were both upright. And then, the kiss changed entirely. Maxon's lips met mine with a strength that was consumed by passion. While his kisses were not untamed or violent, I could tell he was using every effort in his power to maintain composure.

As if to not let himself lose control, Maxon drew himself from me. He smiled before gently pulling me underwater with him. I kept my eyes open and was pleased when the water didn't sting them. Maxon still wore a hint of a smile as his hand caressed my cheek and he drew closer to me until his mouth found mine. Underwater, it was as if nothing else existed except for Maxon and me. There were no sounds and no surroundings. I felt as if everything was happening in slow motion. And for that I was grateful because I could appreciate every moment of this underwater kiss for that much longer.

When we finally resurfaced, Maxon and I swam towards the rocks that enclosed the pond. He leaned against them and pulled me into him. I closed my eyes and he softly kissed my head and neck.

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that but when I finally did pull away, I was surprised to find that Maxon's expression was troubled.

"What is it?" I asked.

It took him some time to gather his thoughts and after a moment he said, "I don't understand what happened earlier today. In the garden. You were so...short with me. Is this about Celeste?"

So he was at least somewhat aware that what was happening between him and Celeste might affect me. At least he wasn't utterly in the dark and unable to even identify that there could be a problem. But there was one thing that had been nagging at me and I was terrified to ask it. So before I could change my mind and talk myself out of it, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Do you have _feelings_ for her?"

He let out a chuckle. It actually was more like a snort. "Heavens, no."

"Then why are you letting her think you do?"

His eyes widened. "I hadn't really thought of it like that. I had hoped that complimenting her in public and having someone else send her roses would seem more official and routine. I wasn't attempting to make her feel that this was intimate." He paused and his eyes saddened as they locked onto mine. "And I certainly didn't want you to think it was either."

I exhaled. I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath. But there was still one thing that wasn't clear to me. "If you don't have feelings for her, what was the purpose of singling her out?"

Maxon looked away and spoke quietly. "Well, it was just a matter of time until I singled out the other ladies too."

"What are you talking about?"

"America, you have to understand that I am _required _to make one of these six ladies my wife. And if its not you..." He trailed off.

It felt as if my heart had fallen into my stomach. Maxon needed a backup plan in case I chose not to marry him. I became nauseous at the thought of him marrying Celeste. Not only was Celeste such a wretched person, but I undeniably had strong feelings for the Prince.

Suddenly, a horrifying thought entered my mind and just like that the fire that had been inside of me in the garden was back. "Does this mean that _Celeste_ is your second choice?"

"At this point, I don't know. Celeste is an extremely focused and powerful person. In the eyes of the royal family, those qualities are incalculably valuable in a queen. I'm not saying that you don't have valuable qualities because believe me, you do. But I don't know any of the other girls as well as I know you and its about time that I make an enormous effort to do so in case I have to choose one of them to be my queen."

I just shook my head. Maxon only knows one side of Celeste. He knows her to be determined and authoritative but he doesn't know that she's also manipulative and sly. He doesn't see the side of her that thinks she can cheat her way through this competition. He doesn't know that she once ripped the sleeve off of one of my gowns minutes before a live Illea Capital Report interview that the entire nation would see. He doesn't know that during Kriss's birthday party, Celeste did not _accidentally _spill deep red punch down Kriss's beautiful floor-length white gown. No, she did it on purpose because Kriss was dressed like a bride and compared to all of the other girls in their day dresses, she was stealing the spotlight that Celeste so desperately wanted.

I didn't want to be here anymore with Maxon. I wanted to go back to the palace and hide in my room and never come out. Without another word, I mounted my horse and left Maxon in the pond calling after me.

At least I knew that Maxon did not have feelings for Celeste. But he was being blind-sided to see only the qualities Celeste chose. And I didn't know if I could bear to watch him politely date all of the other girls.

I returned to the palace feeling worse than I had when I left but I made a promise to myself.

I would do everything in my power to get Celeste out.


End file.
